The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-02
WILLIAM STEELE HANGED
IN JACKSON, MISS. FOR THE
MURDER Or NELSON POTTER,
In August Last He Exhibited No
Fear OF Death and Died, as
Usual, innocent.
Especial TO rHE APPEAL.l


JACKSON, Mia, June lon the
9TH Of August, 1885. Nelson Potter. an cd
and respected citizen Of this city. was ruth
lersly murdered while getting of the train
which had jdst arrived rom Vieksburg at 10
o'clock at night. TIE mu, defer was not
caVtuted then, but several days after.ard
Al a put 10 jail. While here awaiting toe
session Of the Circu Court he made con-
LESSONS to several par lies, unsolicited, one
Of which ITO VIM. j BrOw1. Jr.l, We give.
He, claimed that smother negro, billy, the
or the night Of the killing. BILLY, the
Kid" Is now In jail, avail iny the GUNNER
term OF court for trial. The following
is the confession steele made to Mr.. Brown:
vicfsburg with Nelson Potter. sat in the
front part OF the car, ard Billy took a seat
Just opposite Potter. Billy came back ana
told me that old niger has lot money, and
am going to cut him-ttat Is, cut his
pocket-and get the money. Billy then
tried to do It. Peter was leaning forward
on the seat in front asleep, but woke up
when Billy tried TO cut him. Potter SAID he
was going To have us arrested when we got
open knife and told me not to let
Potter hurt me, and as Potter got
OF tho cars / cut him with tn, knife. l then
run across the platform of the car aro wait.
ed till the train was leaving, when Jumped
the conductor fred me of. 4 got on the next
train and came ba to Jackson, whore |
was arrested, but was turned loose. then
went to Vicksburg, whore wss again arrest
cd and brought back to Jacts son
steele was tried for murder at the last term
of tho Circuit Court, these confessions being
introduced rs evidence, aud notwith-
standing thu mastery Efforts OF Capt.
Frank johnson, q prominent attorney OF this
city, in his behalf, he was aciudged guilty
of ID urder, and was sentenced To be hanged
on the 10Th day of March. his counsel car
Tied the case to the Supreme O0urr, where
the decision OF the lower court was affirmed,
and Wednesday, June LIST, fixed as the day
Of execution.
The day dawntd dismal enough to the ont
side world, aud how must II have seemed to
the condemned man, who could count the
dIeary moments he had to live. The pris-
i1e his condition, aud up t. u o'clock re-
NAMED "a ct and firm. At that hour, how
ever, a telegram was handed him which
S SsS S hS news v tG1s BIS vS ,as
were held in the jail during he morning BY
the Revs. l.. l.. schum ert and U l.. Harrie.
The death warrant was read to IN at l2:l1
o'clock, when he was led to the gsllows,
walking with firm tread and with . smile
on his lace, accom- inied by the sheriff and
staff and the Revs Harris and Schumpert,
taking his stand on the glilows. The Rev.
Charl l., Harris uttered feryent prayer
for the doomed mans soul, steele's lips
ing too. After tho prayer was over Steele
was asked If he wanted to say any
thing. when he advanced to the
edge Of the platform and IN
"w.FlT bs sIs a% aErt ri have .' q go fia
ready ard willing. lam ready to meet my
God. Amt II hsrd for man to die when be
is Innocent, and 50 help mcleod, l am inn Q;
cent. ! haye nothing against any ody:
so hello inc God, didu't." Tho doomed
man Kept up this rambling talk for few
minutes whom the deputy sheriff, seeing he
was getting excited. ordered him to stop
Deputy Circuit Clerk BroEn then said sbi,, e
the KidfH stseie answered, "Ns
sir; l never knew him or anything
| about him til he was brought here
TO jail" Steele then pointed to Nelson Pot
me fer killing his brother, but did not Iii
| him. The other one said he would not be-
leve me on cath and would not be satisfied
| till be heard my neck cracked he WILDE sat
isfed directly" After this the, deputy sher
III and county j.iler adjusted the noOo anC
bound him, pulled the black cap 6yer thu
| doomed man g head, and at IL o'clock thu
trigger was sprung and Steele's BODY shot VI
| in the air to como down again liieless
/ It0 nuuh
| the least sign of twitching o
| convulsive movements, when Drs. Morgan
and galloway pronounced him deed Bein
then cut down, 1t was ascertained that h
neck had been token and IL at he had sui
ferod no pain VIII .tever. No relatives o
friends being there to take charge Of hi
| body, the remains were turned over to h
oolored sexton, who placed him Ia a boz
| and carried him TO the cemetery for in or
m mt. Steelo's demeanOr before the execu
| ii n was very cool and collected, thougl
while he was talking from the scaff Id man
were impressed with the belize tha' he wa
| ips,ne. flo d ed protesting his innocence.
| While only few were inside the inclOsur
| of tho jail, fully 1000 people, mot OF wi on
| Wero darkios witnessed the exec alton. Som
| were in the trees, some la the CITY Hall win
dows, many on house tops and many on tn
| high fence around the jail. No demOnstra
| ton was made by any OF the darkieE a. d tn
| execution was carried out very successfully
Steele Is twenty-nine years Of age, hve foe
ten inches 10 height and weighs about IA
pounds, brown complexion with large RlaT
ing eyes, with n wild expression. Declined I
say where he was born. Has lived 1
PI quimine, La. Lsft.thers for Wick burg /
| 1856. He said in an interview that be neve
| made confession rs to killing Potter I
any one, The last execution in tn city wa
| Henry Washington, IN 1881. The othcers VIII
| conducted the execution deserve great cred
for the successful IN inner in which II wa
carried out, without auy haws or bitches {